Maryland bridge collapse Special Report: Rescue operations underway

BRIDGE OVER TO A LOCAL PILOT WHO

BRIDGE OVER TO A LOCAL PILOT WHO

GETS ON THE SHIP TO NAVIGATE

INTO THE WATERS, TO NAVIGATE

INTO THE HARBOR ITSELF.

SO WE DON'T KNOW IF IT WAS THE

CAPTAIN WHO WAS RESPONSIBLE FOR

THE SHIP AT THAT VERY MOMENT OR

DID THEY HAVE A LOCAL

HARBORMASTER, IF YOU WILL, OR A

PILOT I SHOULD SAY WHO WAS

ONBOARD AT THE TIME.

WE SIMPLY DON'T KNOW.

AND PARDON ME FOR NOT HAVING ALL

THE PROPER LANGUAGE ON THIS.

I'M NOT A HARBOR EXPERT, AND I'M

SURE WE'VE GOT THEM IN OUR

AUDIENCE PEOPLE WHO ARE VERY

FAMILIAR WITH THIS.

BUT THIS IS VERY, VERY

COMPLICATED PORT WITH A

TREMENDOUS AMOUNT OF SHIPPING

VOLUME, CARRIES A TREMENDOUS

AMOUNT OF CARGO INTO AND OUT OF

THE EAST COAST.

AND I WILL TELL YOU IF YOU

TRAVEL IN AND AROUND THE

BALTIMORE AREA YOU KNOW HOW

OFTEN YOU SEE MASSIVE CONTAINER

SHIPS HERE, CRUISE SHIPS ARE

HERE.

THERE ARE AN AWFUL LOT OF CAR

LOTS WHERE BRAND NEW CARS ARE

STAGING BEFORE THEY ARE LOADED

ONTO OR COMING OFF OF THESE

SHIPS, JUST A TREMENDOUS AMOUNT

OF ACTIVITY IN THIS AREA.

SO TO LOSE THE FRANCIS SCOTT KEY

BRIDGE AND ALSO HAVE THIS HARBOR

OR THIS PORT SO DRAMATICALLY

IMPACTED WILL HAVE A DRAMATIC

IMPACT ON THE BALTIMORE REGION

TODAY CERTAINLY ECONOMIC BUT

ALSO OF COURSE JUST LOGISTICALLY

IN GETTING AROUND.

BUT AT THE MOMENT OUR KEY

CONCERN IS HOW MANY PEOPLE MAY

HAVE BEEN ON THE BRIDGE AND MAY

BE IN THE WATER.

>> YES, INCLUDING POTENTIALLY

SEVERAL CONSTRUCTION WORKERS WHO

MAY HAVE BEEN WORKING AT THE

TIME.

LOOK AT THE AERIAL SHOT.

IT'S DARK.

THERE WERE CONFLICTING REPORTS

ABOUT WHETHER OR NOT THE CARGO

SHIP ITSELF HAD SUNK.

>> Reporter: YEAH, I'VE HEARD IT

MAY HAVE SUNK, SAVANNAH.

I DON'T HAVE THAT MYSELF.

I DON'T HAVE THAT INFORMATION

CONFIRMED.

IT'S ONE OF THE REASONS WE'RE

HOPING TO GET MORE CLARITY FROM

MARYLAND STATE AUTHORITIES WITH

THIS NEWS CONFERENCE ANY MOMENT

NOW.

I THINK WE WANT TO KNOW, WHETHER

IN FACT, THAT SHIP DID SINK.

WE WANT TO KNOW HOW MANY PEOPLE

MAY HAVE BE STILL IN THE WATER,

HOW MANY PEOPLE ON THE BRIDGE,

HOW MANY THEY'RE LOOKING FOR,

THE EXTENT OF THE SEARCH AND

RESCUE APEERATIONS.

WE KNOW BALTIMORE CITY FIRE AND

RESCUE HAS BEEN HERE.

ALSO SURROUNDING FIRE

DEPARTMENTS RESPONDED.

THE COAST GUARD RESPONDED AS

WELL, BUT WE'RE WAITING FOR THE

SPECIFICS OF THAT.

>> WE'RE GOING TO HEAR FROM

OFFICIALS, MAY GET SOME OF THE

ANSWERS AS THEY STEP HERE TO THE

MICROPHONES IN BALTIMORE, THE

COLLAPSE OF THE KEY BRIDGE IN

BALTIMORE HARBOR.

LET'S LISTEN.

>> EVERYBODY.

>>?

EVERYBODY READY?

GOOD MORNING.

MY NAME IS CHIEF JAMES WALLACE.

I'M THE CHIEF OF THE BALTIMORE

CITY FIRE DEPARTMENT.

I'M JOINED THIS MORNING BY OUR

MAYOR BRANDON SCOTT, COUNCIL

PRESIDENT MOSBY, COUNCILWOMAN

PORTER, COUNTY EXECUTIVE JOHNNY

OCHEFSKY AND THE BALTIMORE

COUNTY FIRE CHIEF.

OUR BRIEF THIS MORNING WILL BE

ON THE SEARCH AND RESCUE

OPERATION ONGOING AT THIS POINT.

AT APPROXIMATELY 0140 HOURS THIS

MORNING OUR 911 CENTER

DISPATCHED A CALL TO THE

BALTIMORE FIRE DEPARTMENT FOR

THE REPORT OF A WATER RESCUE IN

THE RIVER IN AN AREA OF THE KEY

BRIDGE.

AS UNITS WERE RESPONDING THEY

BEGAN TO RECEIVE NUMEROUS CALLS

INDICATING MULTIPLE PEOPLE IN

THE WATER.

AT SOME POINT DURING THAT CHAIN

OF EVENTS OF CALLS, WE BEGAN TO

RECEIVE INDICATIONS THAT A SHIP

MAY HAVE STRUCK THE KEY BRIDGE.

WE GOT FURTHER INFORMATION

THROUGH MULTIPLE CALLS THAT THE

KEY BRIDGE -- PORTIONS OF OF THE

KEY BRIDGE HAD ACTUALLY

COLLAPSED.

AT ABOUT 0150 HOURS OUR FIRST

UNIT ARRIVED ON SCENE AND

REPORTED A COMPLETE COLLAPSE OF

THE KEY BRIDGE.

WE WERE ALSO GIVEN INFORMATION

AT THAT TIME THAT THERE WERE

LIKELY MULTIPLE PEOPLE ON THE

BRIDGE AT THE TIME OF THE

COLLAPSE AND THAT AS A RESULT

MULTIPLE PEOPLE WERE IN THE

WATER.

WE WERE ABLE TO REMOVE TWO

PEOPLE FROM THE WATER.

ONE INDIVIDUAL REFUSED SERVICE

AND REFUSED TRANSPORT.

ESSENTIALLY THAT PERSON WAS NOT

INJURED.

HOWEVER, THERE WAS ANOTHER

INDIVIDUAL THAT'S BEEN

TRANSPORTED TO A LOCAL TRAUMA

CENTER THAT IS IN VERY SERIOUS

CONDITION.

AT THIS TIME WE HAVE MULTIPLE

AIR ASSETS FROM THE MARYLAND

STATE POLICE AS WELL AS THE

BALTIMORE POLICE DEPARTMENT AS

WELL AS MULTIPLE MARINE ASSETS

FROM AROUND THE REGION INCLUDING

BALTIMORE CITY, BALTIMORE COUNTY

AS WELL AS MULTIPLE LOCAL AND

STATE POLICE AGENCIES, NATIONAL

RESOURCES POLICE, BPD SPECIAL

OPS IS HERE, MARYLAND STATE

POLICE IS HERE.

WE HAVE MULTIPLE RESOURCES.

WE ARE STILL VERY MUCH IN AN

ACTIVE SEARCH AND RESCUE POSTURE

AT THIS POINT, AND WE WILL

CONTINUE TO BE FOR SOME TIME.

WE HAVE A LARGE AREA THAT WE

HAVE TO SEARCH.

THIS INCLUDES ON THE SURFACE OF

THE WATER, SUBSURFACE, AS WELL

AS ON THE DECK OF THE SHIP

ITSELF. WE BELIEVE AT THIS POINT WE MAY

WE BELIEVE AT THIS POINT WE MAY

BE LOOKING FOR -- WE MAY BE

LOOKING FOR UPWARDS OF SEVEN

INDIVIDUALS.

THAT'S THE LATEST INFORMATION WE

HAVE.

HOWEVER, WHAT I WILL SAY IS IT'S

THE INFORMATION THAT I'M GIVING

YOU RIGHT NOW IS AS OF RIGHT

NOW, IT'S WHAT WE KNOW RIGHT

NOW.

THIS IS A VERY LARGE INCIDENT.

IT INVOLVES A VERY LARGE

FOOTPRINT.

MULTIPLE AGENCIES ARE OPERATING,

THEREFORE INFORMATION IS SUBJECT

TO CHANGE AS WE GET MORE INTEL

AND AS OUR CREWS WORK THROUGH

THE MORNING.

OVER THE NEXT 8 TO 12 HOURS YOU

CAN EXPECT TO CONTINUE TO SEE

OUR AIR AND MARITIME ASSETS

FUNCTIONING OUT ON THE WATER AND

IN THE AIR ABOVE.

WE NEED TO DO DAMAGE ASSESSMENT

OF THE SHIP ITSELF BEFORE WE CAN

BOARD THAT HIP, AND WE NEED TO

CONTINUE OUR SUBSURFACE SEARCH,

WHICH IS INCLUDING DIFFERENT

TYPES OF SONAR.

WE HAVE SIDE SCAN SONAR.

WE HAVE OTHER SONAR CAPABILITIES

HERE.

WE HAVE UNDER WATER UAVs THAT

WE'RE WORKING WITH.

AND THROUGHOUT THE NIGHT WE'VE

ALSO BEEN WORKING WITH INFRARED

TECHNOLOGY BOTH FROM THE AIR AND

ON THE WATER SURFACE.

SO I'M GOING TO WRAP UP HERE

WITH JUST SAYING THIS CONTINUES

TO BE A SEARCH AND RESCUE

OPERATION.

IT CONTINUES TO BE A VERY

DYNAMIC OPERATION WITH MULTIPLE

LOCAL, STATE, AND FEDERAL

RESOURCES INVOLVED.

WITH THAT, I'M GOING TO TURN IT

OVER TO OUR MAYOR, MAYOR BRANDON

SCOTT.

>> THANK YOU.

THANK YOU, CHIEF.

EVERYONE, THIS IS AN UNTHINKABLE

TRAGEDY.

WE HAVE TO FIRST AND FOREMOST

PRAY FOR ALL OF THOSE WHO ARE

IMPACTED, THOSE FAMILIES, PRAY

FOR OUR FIRST RESPONDERS AND

THANK THEM, ALL OF THEM WORKING

TOGETHER, CITY, STATE, LOCAL TO

MAKE SURE THAT WE ARE WORKING

THROUGH THIS TRAGEDY.

THIS IS AN ONGOING ACTIVE

RESEARCH THAT WE'RE HAVING RIGHT

NOW.

AS YOU HEARD FROM THE CHIEF AS

LONG AS WE HAVE TO BE DOING

THAT, WE'LL DO IT.

BUT WE HAVE TO BE THINKING ABOUT

THE FAMILIES AND PEOPLE

IMPACTED, FOLKS WHO WE HAVE TO

TRY TO FIND AND SAVE.

THIS IS WHAT OUR FOCUS SHOULD BE

ON RIGHT NOW.

WE'RE GOING TO CONTINUE TO WORK

IN PARTNERSHIP WITH EVERY PART

OF GOVERNMENT TO DO EVERYTHING

THAT WE CAN TO GET US THROUGH

THE OTHER SIDE OF THIS TRAGEDY.

AND WITH THAT I'LL TURN IT OVER

TO COUNTY EXECUTIVE OCHEFSKI.

>> THANK YOU, MAYOR SCOTT.

I THINK WE ALL AWOKE TO THIS

MORNING AN UNSPEAKABLE TRAGEDY.

AS THE MAYOR INDICATED WE KNOW

THERE WILL BE INDIVIDUALS AND

FAMILIES IMPACTED BY THIS

REGARDLESS OF WHAT HAPPENS THE

REST OF THE WAY OUT, SO I WILL

JUST ECHO THE MAYOR IN LIFTING

UP PRAYERS FOR THOSE IMPACTED

BUT ALSO ASK OUR RESIDENTS PRAY

FOR OUR FIRST RESPONDERS.

YOU KNOW, THEY HAVE BEEN ON

SCENE SINCE VERY EARLY A IN THE

MORNING NOT ONLY CONDUCTING

INITIAL SEARCH AND RESCUE

OPERATIONS BUT PLANNING FOR

ADDITIONAL ONES AS THE SUN COMES

UP.

AND THE WORK THEY DO CANNOT BE

UNDERSTATED.

I WANT TO JUST THANK THEM FOR

ALL THEY ARE DOING AND WILL DO

IN THE DAYS AND HOURS AHEAD.

WE KNOW WE HAVE A LONG ROAD

AHEAD NOT JUST IN THE SEARCH AND

RESCUE BUT IN THE FALLOUT

FOLLOWING THIS.

I THINK WE APPROPRIATELY HAVE

OUR ATTENTION ON THE SEARCH AND

RESCUE EFFORTS CURRENTLY.

AND JUST HERE ALONGSIDE OUR

PARTNERS IN THE CITY TO SAY THEY

HAVE OUR FULL SUPPORT.

JUST AS WE WANT TO THANK OUR

STATE PARTNERS FOR THE RESOURCES

THEY'VE OFFERED UP AS WELL AS

THE FEDERAL PARTNERS WHO HAVE

ALREADY REACHED OUT.

THE MAYOR AND I HAVE TALKED TO

THE GOVERNOR.

WE'VE HEARD FROM THE SECRETARY

OF TRANSPORTATION, SO

COLLECTIVELY WE THANK EVERYONE

FOR THEIR THOUGHTS, THEIR

WELL-WISHES.

BUT, AGAIN, THIS IS VERY ACTIVE

SITUATION AND WE WANT TO JUST

THANK THE CHIEF AND OUR TEAMS

FOR ALL THE GREAT WORK THEY'RE

DOING.

WITH THAT, I'LL TURN THINGS BACK

OVER TO CHIEF.

>> THANK YOU, COUNTY EXECUTIVE.

I'LL HAVE EVERYONE GO AROUND.

>> CHIEF, CAN YOU TELL US WHERE

THE CREW OF THE SHIP IS?

YOU ALSO MENTIONED, TOO, THAT

THE TWO PEOPLE WHO WERE RESCUED,

WHO MADE THE FIRST 911 CALL?

AND THERE WERE REPORTS THERE WAS

A CREW ON THE DECK OF THE SHIP

WORKING AT THAT POINT?

CAN YOU CONFIRM ANY OF THAT

INFORMATION?

>> THE LATEST INFORMATION WE

HAVE ON THE CREW OF THE SHIP IS

THAT THEY ARE STILL ONBOARD THE

SHIP.

THERE'S BEEN COMMS BETWEEN THE

SHIP CREW AND THE COAST GUARD.

SO AS PART OF THE OVERALL

OPERATION, WE COMMUNICATE

THROUGH THE COAST GUARD WITH THE

SHIP.

AND I'M SORRY, YOUR OTHER

QUESTIONS?

>> THERE WERE TWO PEOPLE TAKEN,

WHO MADE THE FIRST 911 CALL?

>> I DON'T KNOW WHO MADE THAT

CALL YET.

>> AND WERE THERE OTHER WORKERS

ON THE DECK OF THE SHIP -- OR

THE DECK OF THE BRIDGE AT THIS

POINT?

CAN YOU CONFIRM THAT?

>> WE'RE BEING TOLD THERE WERE

WORKERS ON THE BRIDGE.

WE HAVE YET TO CONFIRM THAT.

WE'LL WORK WITH MDTA TO

OBVIOUSLY GET THAT INFORMATION.

>> ABOUT HOW MANY CARS WERE ON

THAT SHIP -- LAST QUESTION, ON

THE DECK OF THE BRIDGE AT THE

TIME OF THE COLLAPSE?

>> DON'T HAVE A NUMBER.

I CAN TELL YOU OUR SONAR HAS

DETECTED THE PRESENCE OF

VEHICLES SUBMERGED IN THE WATER.

I DON'T HAVE A COUNT OF THAT

YET.

>> CHIEF, YOU MENTIONED UPWARDS

OF SEVEN INDIVIDUALS YOU WERE

LOOKING FOR.

WE HEARD REPORTS OF 20

INDIVIDUALS.

CAN YOU PAINT A CLEAR PICTURE

ABOUT HOW MANY PEOPLE ACTUALLY

FELL INTO THE WATER AND HOW MANY

YOU MIGHT BE LOOKING TO RESCUE,

AND ALSO IF YOU CAN GET AN IDEA

HOW MANY VEHICLES --

>> YEAH, I'LL START WITH THE

LAST ONE.

SO I DON'T KNOW HOW MANY

VEHICLES YET.

I KNOW WE HAD DETECTED THE

PRESENCE OF VEHICLES.

AS FAR AS THE NUMBER BETWEEN THE

7 AND 20, THAT'S BEEN A DYNAMIC

COUNT THROUGHOUT THE MORNING.

JUST GIVEN THE FACT THAT WE

HAVEN'T YET NAILED THAT NUMBER

DOWN.

WE DO BELIEVE AT LEAST SEVEN ARE

INVOLVED IN THAT.

AT LEAST SEVEN AT THIS POINT.

>> THAT FELL INTO THE WATER?

>> YES, MA'AM.

>> YEAH, AND I KNOW YOU SAID THE

CREW WAS ACCOUNTED FOR ON DECK.

DO WE KNOW IF ANY OF THE CREW

MEMBERS WERE PART OF THESE SEVEN

PEOPLE THAT MAY HAVE BEEN IN THE WATER?

WATER?

>> WE DO NOT.

[ INAUDIBLE QUESTION ]

>> SO WE'LL BE GUIDED BY OUR

DIVE TEAMS.

WE WILL DETERMINE WHAT THE

TEMPERATURE OF THE WATER IS.

THE OTHER ISSUE WE HAVE OUT

THERE IS THAT THIS WATER IS

CURRENT-INFLUENCED.

SO RIGHT NOW WE THINK THE TIDE

IS COMING BACK IN.

THAT ATS A BIT OF CHALLENGE

ALSO.

THE FACT THERE'S TRAUMA

INVOLVED.

THEY HAVE BEEN IN THE WATER FOR

AN EXTENDED PERIOD OF TIME, BUT

ALSO WE'RE BATTLING DARKNESS.

IT'S QUITE POSSIBLE WE MAY HAVE

SOMEBODY THERE WE'VE NOT SEEN

YET.

AND AS THEY WORK CLOSE DOOR THE

DEBRIS FIELD, THEY'LL OBVIOUSLY

MAKE THOSE DETERMINATIONS.

BUT WE'RE GOING TO RELY ON THE

EXPERTS, WHICH ARE OUR DIVE

MASTERS THAT ARE HERE, OUR DIVE TEAM TO TELL US WHEN WE'VE

TEAM TO TELL US WHEN WE'VE

REACHED THAT NONSURVIVABILITY

POINT.

>> CHIEF, WAS THERE ANY

INDICATION ANY PROBLEM WITH THE

SHIP, ANYTHING SO FAR EARLY ON

TOLD YOU SOMETHING WAS WRONG?

>> WE DO NOT HAVE THAT

INFORMATION WITH REGARD TO THE

INVESTIGATION.

I WOULD REFER THAT TO LAW

ENFORCEMENT.

MY FOCUS SINCE 1:40 THIS MORNING

HAS BEEN THAT RESCUE OPERATION.

>> SO FAR THERE'S BEEN NO

INDICATION ANY KIND OF LIKE AN

EMERGENCY DISPATCH CAME FROM

THAT SHIP BEFORE?

>> I HAVE NO INFORMATION ABOUT

THAT, MA'AM.

>> HAVE YOU BEEN ABLE TO CONTACT

THE AMERICAN PILOT ON THAT

BRIDGE?

>> THE PILOT ON THE VESSEL?

>> YEAH.

>> WE HAVE NOT TALKED TO THE

PILOT ON THE VESSEL.

THE RESCUE PERSONNEL, THE RESCUE

OPERATION, WE HAVE NOT INTERACTED.

INTERACTED.

>> CAN YOU TELL US ABOUT

[ INAUDIBLE ].

>> YEAH, I DON'T HAVE AGE AND

GENDER ON EITHER.

ONE PATIENT REFUSED SERVICE.

REALLY THEY WEREN'T INJURED.

THE SECOND PATIENT, HOWEVER, WAS

SERIOUSLY INJURED AND IS AT AN

AREA TRAUMA CENTER.

>> ARE YOU INCLUDING THEM IN THE

AT LEAST SEVEN PEOPLE?

>> WE DON'T KNOW YET IF THEY'RE

PART OF THAT SEVEN.

THE PATIENT IS INJURED SEVERELY

ENOUGH WE'VE NOT BEEN ABLE TO

DEBRIEF THAT PATIENT.

>> THAT SEVEN NUMBER DOES THAT

COMES FROM CARS COMING DOWN?

WHERE DOES THAT COME FROM?

IS THAT FROM THE SONAR?

>> NO, THAT WAS THE INITIAL

INFORMATION WE GOT AS WE WERE

ARRIVING ON THE SCENE, THAT

NUMBER.

AND THAT NUMBER, AGAIN, AS I

SAID EARLIER HAS FLUCTUATED,

RIGHT?

THAT SEVEN HAS BEEN A CONSISTENT

NUMBER.

>> HOW MANY AGENCIES ARE HERE

ASSISTING RIGHT NOW?

>> WOW.

DOZENS.

I MEAN LOCALLY FIRE DEPARTMENT

WISE, HOWARD COUNTY IS HERE,

HARTFORD WAS HERE.

PG WAS HERE, ANARUNDLE, OF

COURSE BALTIMORE CITY.

AND A LOT OF THE AGENCIES ARE

HERE BY VIRTUE OF THE FACT THEY

MAY HAVE SPECIALIZED EQUIPMENT

THAT WE NEED DURING AN INCIDENT

LIKE THIS.

SO WE'RE BRINGING IN THE

EQUIPMENT SPECIFIC TO THE

OPERATION RIGHT NOW.

AND THEN EVEN LAW ENFORCEMENT

AGENCIES HAVE A LOT OF THE SAME

MARINE OPS EQUIPMENT AS WE DO.

SO GIVEN THE INCIDENT IS SO BIG,

WE TRY TO FORCE MULTIPLY AND

JUST BRING AS MANY RESOURCES IN

AS WE CAN, SO THAT WE CAN REALLY

BLANKET A LARGE AREA FOR A

SEARCH.

>> WHAT ABOUT THE COAST GUARD?

>> WE'VE NOT BEEN ABLE TO

CONFIRM WE ACTUALLY HAVE AN

ACTIVE FUEL SPILL FROM THE

VESSEL.

THE MARYLAND DEPARTMENT OF

ENVIRONMENT IS HERE AS WELL AS

THE COAST GUARD, SO THEY WOULD

TAKE LEADS ON THAT AS WELL.

WE HAVE HOPE AS THE SUN COMES UP

A LITTLE BIT WITH THE AIR ASSETS

THAT ARE UP TO GET A MUCH BETTER

PICTURE IF WE DO HAVE A FUEL

SPILL, WHAT THE IMPACT HAS BEEN

SO FAR.

[ INAUDIBLE QUESTION ]

[ INAUDIBLE QUESTION ]

>> MARYLAND STATE POLICE HAS

BEEN HERE.

FOX TROT.

I DON'T KNOW WE'LL BRING ANYMORE

IN, BUT RIGHT NOW THEY'RE THE

TWO PRIMARY.

AIR RECONNAISSANCE ON SOMETHING

ON THE OPEN WATER IT'S A

VALUABLE RESOURCE.

AND WE'VE BEEN FORTUNATE TO HAVE

IT BECAUSE AS WE PEOPLE OUT IN

THE DARK ON THE WATER TO CONDUCT

SEARCHES, THEY HAVE THAT DEGREE

OF OVERWATCH.

IT'S BEEN AN INVALUABLE

RESOURCE.

>> WE TALK ABOUT SEARCH AND

RESCUE.

I KNOW THAT.

THAT'S WHERE THE FOCUS IS RIGHT

NOW.

I WAS AWAKENED TO THIS NEWS,

WE'RE ALL AWAKENED TO THIS NEWS.

I'VE SEEN THE VIDEO.

WHAT DO YOU MAKE OF THE TOTALITY

OF THIS INCIDENT?

WHAT DO YOU THINK ABOUT WHAT

YOU'VE SEEN AND THE COMMUNITY

HAS EXPERIENCED SND.

>> THIS IS TRAGEDY AS YOU CAN

NEVER IMAGINE, RIGHT?

AND I WAS AWAKE WHEN CHIEF

WALLACE CALLED ME.

BUT NEVER WHAT YOU THINK YOU

WOULD SEE, PHYSICALLY SEE THE

KEY BRIDGE TUMBLE DOWN LIKE

THAT.

IT LOOKS LIKE SOMETHING OUT OF

AN ACTION MOVIE.

AND YOU THINK NOTHING BUT THOSE

FAMILIES AND PEOPLE IMPACTED AND

THOSE PEOPLE WHO ARE RISKING

THEIR LIVES RIGHT NOW FROM NOT

JUST BALTIMORE CITY AND

BALTIMORE COUNTY BUT ALL OVER

THIS STATE TO TRY TO SAVE LIVES.

THAT SHOULD BE OUR FOCUS, THE

PRESERVATION OF LIFE BECAUSE NO

ONE WANTS TO SEE THAT HAPPEN LET

ALONE SOMEONE IN THEIR FAMILIES,

SOMEONE THEY KNOW BE INJURED IN

AN INCIDENT LIKE THIS.

>> MAYOR BRANDON SCOTT, OTHER

OFFICIALS, JAMES WALLACE, THE

FIRE CHIEF OF BALTIMORE CITY

WITH THE BREAKING NEWS THIS

MORNING.

IT IS ON YOUR SCREEN, THE

FRANCIS SCOTT KEY BRIDGE IN

BALTIMORE HARBOR IN THE WATER

THIS MORNING.

AND WE'VE LEARNED QUITE A BIT

FROM THAT NEWS CONFERENCE.

I WANT TO BRING IN TOM COSTELLO,

OUR CORRESPONDENT AT THE SCENE.

MOST IMPORTANTLY THAT AT LEAST

SEVEN PEOPLE ARE STILL

UNACCOUNTED FOR THIS MORNING.

AND RIGHT NOW MARINE UNITS LOOKING FOR SURVIVORS IN THE

LOOKING FOR SURVIVORS IN THE

FRIGID WATERS THERE IN THE

POTASS

POTASSCO RIVER.

WE'RE TOLD THE CREW REMAIN

ONBOARD THAT SHIP.

YOU CAN SEE WHAT HAPPENED AT

1:30 THIS MORNING, AND I BELIEVE

WE HAVE THE VIDEO OF IT AS WELL

IF YOU'RE JUST JOINING US NOW,

6:40 ON THE EAST COAST, A CARGO

SHIP LEAVING BALTIMORE HARBOR

OWNED BY SYNERGY MARINE GROUP

HITS A SUPPORT STRUCTURE OF THE

KEY BRIDGE IN BALTIMORE.

AND THERE ARE REPORTS THIS

MORNING ACCORDING TO OFFICIALS

THAT THE ENTIRE BRIDGE HAS

COLLAPSED.

AS THE SUN IS COMING UP ON THE

EAST COAST, WE ARE STARTING TO

GET A BETTER VIEW, AN AERIAL

VIEW.

THERE WERE CARS ON THE BRIDGE AT

THE TIME.

THE OFFICIALS SAY THAT SONAR HAS

DETECTED THE PRESENCE OF CARS IN

THE RIVER.

TWO PEOPLE WERE PULLED FROM THE

RIVER THIS MORNING.

ONE WAS UNINJURED, THE OTHER

SAID TO HAVE VERY SERIOUS

INJURIES.

AND THIS IS A SEARCH AND RESCUE

MISSION RIGHT NOW.

TOM COSTELLO IS WITH ME AT THE

RIVER.

ABOUT 48-DEGREE WATER

TEMPERATURE.

TO SAY THAT TIME IS OF THE

ESSENCE, THIS HAPPENED AT 1:30,

1:40 THIS MORNING ABOUT FIVE

HOURS AGO.

RESCUERS HAVE THEIR WORK CUT OUT

FOR THEM AS THEY SEARCH FOR

SURVIVORS HERE.

>> Reporter: ABSOLUTELY.

I'LL JUST TELL YOU STANDING ON

THE GROUND HERE NEAR THE BRIDGE

IT IS VERY COLD OUT HERE.

ABOUT 35 DEGREES WITH THE WIND

BLOWING.

IT'S ABOUT 45 DEGREES OR SO IN